Reimagining with Plant-based Leather

Nuhayr Zein

Using naturally-available materials in the UAE, architect Nuhayr Zein has created a sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional leathers called Leukeather, produced out of Leucaena seeds found in the UAE. After the launch of The Seeds Series, the first product made with the innovative material, Nuhayr has been experimenting further in order to improve its performance, colour range, and biodegradability.

Leukeather is a vegetal leather alternative to animal and exotic leathers made from dried Leucaena plant pods. As a sustainable and ethical alternative, it offers a naturally-patterned texture that is coloured and flexible. Using Leukeather, Nuhayr’s latest product is a jewellery box that is designed to commemorate the UAE Union Day for the Year of Sustainability. The box, with its meticulous design and sustainable ethos, encapsulates the essence of the UAE’s commitment to sustainability, blending tradition with innovation to create a lasting legacy that reflects the unity and progress of the nation.
 

About Nuhayr Zein

Nuhayr Zein is an architect and researcher whose work spans different disciplines, including architecture, product design, and material research. 

She finds inspiration in the surrounding natural context and incorporates it into her work on a material, spatial, and formal scale to create culturally relevant and environmentally responsible design and material solutions. 

Nuhayr works as an architect at Foster & Partners and is also the founder of Leukeather, the world's first plant-based emboss-free exotic leather material alternative.